Shadowfall
by hacchan
Summary: Formerly the oneshot "Cute". Mumei and Ikoma explore their deepening relationship. But an unknown threat is drawing closer, one that could destroy everything they hold dear. (Contains a time jump) MumeixIkoma
1. Cute

**Chapter 1 Cute**

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using the world and characters from Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress produced by Wit Studio. No infringement is intended in any way and this story is not for profit.

* * *

** This story is set after the Battle of Unato and contains a time jump**

**Japanese language notes:**

Koutetsujyo- iron fortress

Hayajiro- trains built to protect people and goods, as well as providing mobility

Bushi- warrior

Satsumaimo- sweet potato

Geta- traditional Japanese sandal with an elevated base, often worn with white tabi socks

Yukata- a light cotton kimono or robe

Wazatori- a kabane that has lived long enough to gain proficiency in a specific art or has had enough experience from its time as a human to retain some of its muscle memory in Kabane form

Tsuranuki Zutsu- Ikoma's special pressurized steam weapon, designed specifically to pierce the iron cage around kabane hearts

Haori- a traditional Japanese jacket worn over a robe

* * *

It had been raining steadily the last couple of days and everyone on the Koutetsujyo was going a little stir crazy. Bad weather made stopping en route much less pleasant, in addition to the added security challenges the bushi would face with poor visibility. So the hayajiro chugged along steadily, its crew devising second and third-shift schedules to keep the train running around the clock. No one complained outright, but everyone on board breathed a sigh of relief as the tall walls of Kawagoe Station became visible in the distance.

The exhaustion the crew felt was mitigated somewhat by the cheerful greeting they received upon entering Kawagoe. The local citizens had gathered to greet them holding baskets full of freshly baked satsumaimo the region was known for. As Ayame and Kurusu exchanged pleasantries with Tomozawa, the friendly station leader, the people of Kawagoe began handing out their baked treats to each person as they got off the train. "To warm you all up on this chilly day," Tomozawa grinned.

Slipping off the train amidst the crowd, Mumei was surprised when a middle-aged woman handed her a satsumaimo with a smile. _That's right_¸ she realized, _I'm so used to everyone on the Koutetsujyo already knowing I'm Kabaneri, I forgot that she wouldn't know I can't eat this._ Meeting the woman's cheerful gaze, Mumei was about to say thank you when something else slipped out. "It's so warm." She wrapped both hands around the potato gratefully. It was cold day and even her fingers were starting to feel it.

"This will warm you right up dear," the woman patted her head, "and help you grow up nice and strong."

Mumei nodded and looked down, at a loss for words. Ikoma, who had been walking alongside her, clapped a hand on her shoulder and turned to address the woman. "Thank you Ma'am, but- Ow"

He rubbed his left arm where Mumei had inexplicably pinched him. "What was _that_ for?" he whispered, annoyed. But Mumei was looking at the woman in front of them again, eyes shining with gratitude.

"Thank you!" Mumei bowed politely.

Seeing her evident happiness, Ikoma decided to let it go, for now. Once they were out of earshot, he asked her quietly, "What was that about? You know you can't eat it."

His companion frowned and looked down at the sweet potato still clutched in her hands. "I don't know," she replied hesitantly, "I guess it was just nice for someone to not know about Kabaneri for a change."

They continued walking in silence for a few moments, while Ikoma tried to think of a way to lighten the mood. Being Kabaneri set them apart from the rest of the Koutetsujyo, and while the atmosphere had greatly improved, it still wasn't perfect. He could understand Mumei's wish for anonymity because it was also something he wished for on occasion.

Sunk deep in thought, Ikoma stumbled on an uneven patch in the dirt road. The ground was slick with rain water and before he knew it, the young man had fallen backwards into a large puddle of questionable origin. Stunned, he looked up at his companion, blinking.

His look of surprise was so cute, it made Mumei blush. _It's absurd how quickly Ikoma can get himself into trouble_, she thought to herself. Looking at her friend steeping like a teabag in the mud puddle, Mumei couldn't contain herself. She doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach.

"Oh, that's funny, is it?" Ikoma eyed her, arching an eyebrow. "You could have caught me, you know." He sent an accusing glaze her way before tugging at the side of his shirt to inspect the damage. It was completely soaked in dark brown mud.

"I didn't want to drop my potato," she said apologetically, trying to bite back a grin. "Here, let me help you up." Balancing her satsumaimo carefully on a nearby fencepost, she reached down to her friend.

Ikoma reached up to take her hand, and summarily pulled her down into the mud with him. Mumei landed on her hands and knees, sprawled across her companion's lap with a resounding splat. As she spluttered in outrage, the young man patted her cheek with a muddy hand. "Now we're even."

Looking up at him with a glint in her eye, Mumei hissed, "Not even close."

* * *

Later that day, the pair of Kabaneri stumbled down the street towards the local bathhouse, arms around each other's shoulders, both shaking with glee and covered head to toe in mud.

"Oh my," Ayame had whispered, hand covering her mouth.

Kurusu raised his brows and Sukari smirked and nudged Yukina. "Look what the cat dragged in." Mumei and Ikoma tried to contain themselves but all it took was once glance at each other and the pair would burst into laughter.

The clerk, eying the pair dubiously, seemed on the verge of denying them entrance, when Ayame stepped in. "They will of course, need to each rent a yukata," she said smiling and held up her coin purse. At the Yomogawa heir's gentle words, the clerk cleared his throat and punched two more entry tickets.

* * *

Mumei couldn't help chuckling as she rinsed mud and bits of crushed leaves out of her hair at the washing station. _Ikoma is always surprising me. I like it. _She hummed thoughtfully for a moment, taking time to work the shampoo through her short black hair. _I never had fun like this with brother…_ A myriad of emotions swam through her at the thought so it took a moment for her to register the whispering voice to her far left.

"Over there, that's the kabaneri girl."

"Look at that scar on her back. It's terrible."

"Such a scary creature."

It was a group of three women from the Koutetsujyo. Some of its passengers still struggled to accept her true nature and would glance at her fearfully from time to time. _I don't care! _Mumei huffed to herself, dowsing herself with water from the little blue bucket at the wash station. Once she was free of soap bubbles, Mumei slipped into the hot water of the bath. _Ahh, it feels so good! _The kabaneri girl closed her eyes and curled her toes in delight. _This is just what I needed today._ She was just getting settled in for a nice luxurious soak when the whispers started again.

"Is it even safe to bathe with her?"

"I don't want to share bath water with a corpse."

Mumei kept her eyes closed, but her eyebrow twitched in irritation. _They're starting to annoy me_. She ground her teeth together slightly. The young girl tried to restrain herself. _Ikoma always hates it when I make a scene. _And just like that, a memory of Ikoma's face popped into her mind. Immediately, all the negative feelings drained from her body and she smiled to herself, replaying the memory.

**After Ikoma had unceremoniously pulled her down into the mud, Mumei was determined to get revenge. **_**But how?**_** Straddling his waist, she leaned forward with a bashful expression. Her kabaneri hearing picked up the sound of Ikoma's breath hitching in his throat as her lips drew nearer. Then with a smirk, her hands snaked up his back and dumped two fistfuls of mud on top of his head. **

**His expression was priceless as cold wet mud squelched down the back of his neck and dripped from his hair. "Why you little-" He hooked an arm around her waist, pulling her close and went in for the kill, tickling her in her ultimate weak spot, behind her knees. Mumei squealed and tried to escape but he held fast. Desperate to break free of this tickling onslaught, she flailed around, causing the pair to tumble deeper down into the mud. **

**They wrestled back and forth on the ground for a moment before Mumei was able to pin Ikoma down between her thighs. Smiling devilishly, she nudged her knees up along his ribcage. Ikoma had locked his arms against his body, but Mumei's persistent pressure allowed her to force his arms up, exposing his armpits. He looked at her with a panicked expression. "No Mumei, please!" He pleaded. She waggled her fingers closer and he flinched in anticipation. "I surrender Mumei! Anything but that!"**

"**Anything?" She quirked.**

"**Anything!" He nodded vigorously.**

"**Hmm, well I guess I can accept your surrender for…" She tapped a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Three kisses." It was immensely satisfying for her to watch the blush creep up his neck and stain his cheeks as her words sank in. **

"**K-kisses?" His voice was hoarse.**

"**Kisses." Mumei nodded solemnly. "Three kisses. And I get to choose their location."**

"**Location?!" Ikoma's voice cracked. His mind wandered to what kind of places she could possibly have in mind. **_**No no, **_**he shook his head mentally, **_**she couldn't be thinking of -that- Pull yourself together**_**! He commanded his thoughts.**

**At his companion's coquettish smirk, he somehow managed to stutter. "A-Alright."**

"**Here." Mumei released his arms and pointed to the right side of her forehead, just above her eye. She wiggled back a little so that Ikoma had room to sit up. His hand gently brushed aside her dark bangs and she felt soft lips graze the spot she had indicated.**

"**Here," she said, somewhat imperiously, now indicating to her left cheekbone. Again, she felt the gentle caress of Ikoma's calloused hand before she felt the slight pressure of his mouth against her skin. **

"**And here." Her voice wavered slightly as she now pointed towards her own mouth. **

**Now it was Ikoma's turn to grin. **_**All that confidence is just an act, **_**he thought to himself. Taking her face in his hands, he brushed a thumb over her slightly open lips and felt a shiver run through her body. "Alright," he said quietly. Then his mouth was on hers, hot and sweet. He had intended this to be another chaste kiss, but her lips were partly open. Maybe it was surprise or nervousness on her part, but she ended up nibbling on his bottom lip slightly. Instinctually, Ikoma opened the kiss wider and felt her tongue tentatively stroke along the inside of his mouth. **

**With a groan, he pulled her closer, sliding his tongue along hers. She was so warm and soft and now her arms were around his neck, fingers running through his hair, pulling him closer, closer. Sliding his fingers down her sides, they fell to rest at her hips, fists clenching in the fabric of her skirt. Their kiss would have deepened further, but a loud whistle from behind brought them back to their senses. **

**People in the shop fronts were peering out their windows curiously, and pedestrians passing by were turning back to stare. The Kabaneri pair broke apart, each blushing furiously. Ikoma blinked, eyeing the spectators. "Ah, maybe we should go."**

"**Mhmm," Mumei nodded furiously, sliding off his lap. Taking in the disheveled appearance of her companion, she stifled a laugh. "Ikoma, you're filthy." Mumei teased. **

**Chuckling, the young man gestured towards his friend. "And you aren't?"**

"**Wahh!" Mumei cried, noticing the state of her clothes for the first time. "Good thing this town has a bathhouse." Eyeing each other again, the pair burst out laughing. **

The memory of Ikoma's smile filled Mumei with warmth more pleasant than any bath. _Ikoma, as long as you're with me, I can face anything_, she silently declared.

Eager to see her special person again, she powered through the rest of her cleaning routine and ended up finishing earlier than the rest of her friends. Towel draped around her shoulders, Mumei stood outside the bathhouse, and kicked at little pebbles in the road with her geta. The light from the red paper lanterns on either side of the doorway cast her flickering shadow along the wall.

Hearing footsteps approaching the door, Mumei whirled around excitedly to greet her friends. Her face fell when she realized it was other passengers from the Koutetsujyo, unfriendly ones at that. Mumei's eyes glowed an eerie yellow-orange in the dim light and she heard the group of men gasp. Frowning, she moved out of the entranceway to let them pass. They inched around her, as if she was some kind of venomous creature they didn't want to provoke. Looking steadily forward, they slunk by without saying a word.

As they turned the corner, Mumei saw one of them put his hand over his heart. "Phew, I nearly died when I saw her just staring at us like that. So creepy." Normal human ears wouldn't be able to follow their conversation, but her kabaneri hearing could pick it up clearly. Eyes narrowing, she listened as their voices floated back to her while they walked away.

"I don't know, she's got a nice body."

"Gods, what are you a necrophiliac?" Their coarse laughter drifted away until even her heightened senses could no longer perceive it. Frowning, Mumei considered their words when the wooden door slid open behind her once again. This time Ayame, Yukina, Kurusu, Kajika, Ikoma, and Sukari poured out of the bath house all rosy-cheeked and smiling.

"That felt so nice!" Kajika beamed.

"You finished early tonight, Mumei-chan," Ayame smiled. "I'm sorry we made you wait."

Mumei nudged a pebble with her shoe. "S'alright." She mumbled to the ground.

Ayame patted her shoulder kindly. "It's getting late. You all must be exhausted. Let's all get a good night's sleep tonight." This was met with hearty agreement from the others and they began their trek towards their quarters for the evening.

Noticing Mumei hanging towards the back, Ikoma slowed his pace to match hers. Her reticence surprised him, especially after a bath night. Mumei was usually very pleased whenever they had the opportunity to visit a bath house. "You alright?" He asked.

"Mmhmm," she quietly hummed an affirmative. "Just thinking, I guess." She bit the corner of her lip and then impulsively reached out to grab Ikoma's sleeve. "Hey Ikoma, what's a necrophiliac?"

"EHHHHH?!" Ikoma's shout echoed through the empty street and the rest of his companions turned back to stare at him. "It's nothing, nothing!" He waved them away while simultaneously clamping a hand over Mumei's mouth.

"Mhmphmph" She protested against his hand.

"Mumei," he hissed, "where in the seven hells did you hear that word?" She glared at him and he removed his hand with a sheepish, "Sorry."

"Why does it matter where I heard it? I just want to know what it means," Mumei pouted.

Sighing, Ikoma ran a hand through his hair. "It has to do with corpses and other… things." As her mouth opened to ask more questions, he hastily continued. "But that doesn't apply to us! We're not corpses, we're Kabaneri. Whoever you heard that from was mistaken, or misinformed, or something." He desperately wanted to change the subject. _If I ever get my hands on whoever dared to speak that about Mumei, I'd like to-_ Ikoma's eyes glowed red for a moment.

As Mumei tried to object once again, he cut her off. "They were mistaken Hozumi." Kissing her cheek, Ikoma cupped her face in his hands with a fond look. "It's as simple as that."

Mumei wanted to pout, but something in his expression melted away her feelings of annoyance. Ikoma ruffled her hair and she huffed, blowing on her bangs. But both of them knew she was just blustering.

"Come on, let's get some rest." Ikoma held out a hand to her and she took it, smiling.

* * *

~4 years later~

Blood dripped off the end of Mumei's bayonet. The fighting today along the walls of Tsurugashima Station had been particularly fierce. The Kabane were changing. The group fighting tactics they had employed at Unato were only becoming more frequent, with masses of kabane swarming and overwhelming a single target. This group attack strategy was becoming more and more difficult for the Koutetsujyo defenders to repulse.

They had been trying to repair some damaged lines of track outside the station, but the ferocity of the attack was so strong that they were slowly being driven back to the safety of Tsurugashima's outer wall.

Even more disturbing was the abundance of wazatori that had begun appearing on the battlefield lately. Although they weren't very intelligent, their movement and attack speed were guided by a vicious killer instinct, making them formidable opponents, even for the Kabaneri. The wazatori also seemed to sense that Mumei and Ikoma were their greatest threat and they had been attacking the Kabaneri pair relentlessly.

After four years of fighting together, Mumei and Ikoma could read each other's fighting movements seamlessly. Ikoma knew that when he blocked, Mumei would follow through with a kill shot and when he attacked, she would guard his blind spots from the enemy's retaliation. They flowed around each other in a graceful dance leaving piles of dead in their wake. Mumei dealt the final blow to an especially juicy wazatori, splattering them both with steaming Kabane ichor. At last, the creatures decided to retreat and the hordes of Kabane that had been ruthlessly attacking faded away into to hills like smoke.

Mumei sighed, and attempted to wipe some of the blood off her face, but her hands and clothing were no cleaner. While she still kept her bangs, she had allowed her hair to grow down past her shoulders until it flowed in glossy tresses down to her midback. Today it was bound up in a ponytail for battle. She had outgrown her metallic headband and now used a simple bright red ribbon to fasten her hair.

Somewhere along the way, she had also acquired a red leather jacket that fell to her calves and had a tendency to billow out dramatically behind her in battle. Ikoma often referred to it as her "epic battle gear". Underneath her jacket, she wore lightweight armor that fitted neatly over her black skintight jumpsuit.

The armor was also Ikoma's design. He had adapted a metal polymer with a Kabane iron base, reinforcing it with steel alloy and molding it into thin armor plating that could attach easily to clothing. It was lightweight and incredibly strong.

Ikoma also donned a set of shining black polymer armor over his uniform. The effect, with his pale green hair and rugged cheekbones was quite striking. The first time he had worn it, not only Mumei, but Kajika, Ayame, and even Yukina's jaws had dropped in surprise. At his recent twenty-first birthday celebration, even some of the men of the Koutetsujyo teased him about how handsome he had become.

"**It's like you just blossomed overnight," Kibito had drawled, arm slung over his shoulder, face flushed with alcohol.**

"**I really don't know what you're talking about," Ikoma had protested, while trying to pry himself out from under the larger bushi's weight. The rest of their friends had laughed at his embarrassment and continued with some good-natured heckling. Exasperated, Ikoma had rolled his eyes, only to meet Mumei's quiet smile from across the table. **_**There's definitely a message hidden in that look**_**, he realized, but before he could analyze it further, he was distracted by the rowdy, semi-drunken antics of his friends.**

With the battle over, Ikoma's first thought was for his partner. "Mumei, are you alright?" He turned towards her, fingertips grazing her forearm and trailing down to her elbow.

"I'm fine," she reassured him, "just filthy. I can't wait to take a bath." Scanning over the young man standing next to her, she added, "You're pretty bad too."

"What this," Ikoma scoffed. "This is nothing. Remember that time we fought those parasitic mold spores up in Wakayama? Now _that_ was messy."

Mumei wrinkled her nose at the memory. "Messy and smelly."

"See, this is nothing." Ikoma draped an arm over her shoulders and gave her a wide smile. "How'd I do? Did you see the way I dodged that wazatori using the two saw blades?"

"You've definitely gotten fast." Mumei wound a hand around his waist and the two began to trudge up the hill towards the station's imposing gates. She pinched his side mischievously. "But still not fast enough to beat me."

"Tsk," Ikoma clucked his tongue. "We should race again soon. I think I might actually beat you this time."

"In your dreams," Mumei scoffed. They had reached the entranceway to Tsurugashima and she gave a playful salute to the lookout stationed above. The bushi did not return her grin, but the metal doors slowly started to grind open. "Jeesh, these guys have no sense of humor," she whispered conspiratorially. "I don't know how Ayame-sama puts up with them."

"Well, Ayame-sama is the picture of beauty, maturity, and good manners." Ikoma ticked the traits off on his fingers. "Unlike _some _people I know, she has patience with all sorts of personalities." He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Bleh!" Mumei pretended to retch, "I'd rather die than pretend to be all buddy buddy with people I can't stand."

"It's called diplomacy, you goose."

"Bleh!" Mumei continued her charade, contorting her face into exaggerated expressions of displeasure and disgust.

It was a game they had played many times before. She would make silly faces and Ikoma would attempt not to laugh. He tried valiantly for a minute or two, but after a ridiculous grimace he couldn't contain a chuckle. Caressing her cheek fondly, he said, "You really are too much. Be careful it doesn't get stuck like that."

Mumei stuck out her tongue.

They reached the local bath house and were able to enter without incident. "Ayame-sama must have prepped the workers ahead of time about us," Ikoma whispered into Mumei's ear.

"Mhmm," she nodded. "They almost succeeded in trying not to stare."

He laughed and she felt his breath on her cheek. "We'll meet up again and have dinner together, ok?" Ikoma caught her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Ok!" She answered brightly.

* * *

Later that evening, Mumei was in a great mood. She had enjoyed a wonderful bath with no awkward whispering in the background. _People have finally started to accept us_, she smiled to herself. _And best of all, it's the perfect night for star-gazing. I'm sure I can talk Ikoma into going up onto the roof tonight for a look and some snuggling. _She twirled around the room in excitement. _It's gonna be great!_

Skipping down the steps of her room in Tsurugashima, Mumei headed towards the area the rest of the crew would be eating. She had gotten much better at tuning out the conversations of those around her, but when she heard her own name, it caught her attention.

"-that Mumei is still scary as hell." It was a group of young men from the Koutetsujyo. _They must have a shared quarters while the train's docked in Tsurugashima_, Mumei realized. She knew she should just ignore their comments and move on, but a morbid curiosity drove her to stay. Pressing into the shadows along the wall, she continued to listen.

"Did you see how she came in today, all splattered in guts?"

"Sometimes I feel bad for Ikoma. He already lost his humanity and now he's saddled with caring for that little monster."

Mumei clenched her hands over her glowing orange heart. _Was Ikoma bothered by it?_ The thought had never occurred to her before. She pressed her ear against the wall to listen more closely.

"Be thankful it's him, otherwise she might have set her sights on one of us." She could hear the men inside shifting uncomfortably.

"N-no way. I want a woman who's cute and dainty and clean!" Mumei could hear hearty agreements as someone clapped another person on the back.

"She's nothing like Ayame-sama. Now there's a _real _woman." Her heart clenched painfully and Mumei felt herself slide down the wall to sit on the ground.

"To Ayame-sama," the men inside cheered.

Mumei wanted to pull up her jacket and hide inside like she was twelve again. Instead, she settled for swiping the sleeve of her jacket over her suspiciously damp eyes and nose. _Just another example of how indelicate I am_, she thought, looking at her sleeve with a frown. Standing up, she brushed herself off and did an about face, heading back towards her room. She suddenly didn't feel like being around people right now.

Mumei climbed on top of her roof and sat, hugging her knees to her chest. The stars held no joy for her now will all the painful thoughts swimming around in her mind. She wracked her brain, trying to recall if Ikoma had ever called her cute. He'd called her a pain, a goose, silly, even a lioness sometimes, but she couldn't remember him ever calling her cute.

_If how I am makes Ikoma unhappy then-_ she hung her head lower in misery. Swallowed up by her little black cloud, Mumei didn't pay attention to the time passing by.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Ikoma popped his head up over the rim of the roof. "There you are! I've been looking all over for you." He climbed onto the roof with ease and sat beside her. "You missed dinner. I was worried." He held out a bamboo thermos contained freshly harvested blood.

Mumei ignored it and turned away. _Just another uncute thing about me_, she lamented. _My diet._

They sat in silence for a few minutes and Mumei was thankful that her friend didn't pressure her. She opened up her hand and placed it palm up on the clay tile roof. Immediately, Ikoma took it and began rubbing soothing circles into it with the pads of his thumbs. He knew how much Mumei loved hand massages and recognized her unspoken request for comfort.

After a few more minutes, Mumei spoke quietly, still looking away. "Hey Ikoma, do you think I'm cute?"

He cocked his head thoughtfully, brows raised. "Cute? Hmm, I don't know if that's the word I'd use."

_I knew it_, she thought, trying to keep her heart from shattering into a million pieces.

"More like," Ikoma rubbed the shadow of stubble on his chin. "Ravishingly beautiful and unbelievably sexy." He pressed a kiss into the center of her hand.

_Eh! _Mumei lifted her head and turned towards him, blinking.

"Or as we steam smiths like to say, 'Smokin' hot,'" he said in a faux burly voice, puffing out his chest.

That won a small chuckle from her lips and she eyed him hopefully. "Really?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course!" He beamed at her. "Why do you ask?"

At his question, she looked away again, biting her lip.

Taking her chin in his hand, Ikoma gently guided her face back to his. "Hozumi, why do you ask?"

_Damn, he's pulling out the big guns, using my real name. He knows I turn to mush every time he uses it_. "It's stupid. I just-" At his nod of encouragement, she continued, "I just- I don't think I'm every going to be a woman like Ayame-sama, no matter how hard I try. So, if that's the kind of person you're looking for, I don't want to hold you back." She blurted out in a rush of anguish and covered her face in her hands.

"Ayame-sama? Who said anything about Ayame-sama?" Ikoma suddenly found himself confused.

"She's the ideal woman," Mumei started ticking off on her fingers, "Beautiful, dainty, quiet, patient, clean, mature-"

He covered her fingers with his hands and drew her close, till their foreheads were resting together. "Mumei, Ayame-sama is _not_ my ideal woman." His eyes burned into hers and Mumei suddenly felt inexplicably thirsty.

Swallowing, she whispered, "She's not?" Now it was Mumei's turn to feel confused, "But I thought…"

"Don't get me wrong, Ayame-sama's a wonderful person and a good leader." Ikoma rubbed the back of her hands. "I can see why other guys would find her attractive but she's not the one for me."

"Really?" Mumei breathed, distracted by how close his handsome face was and the intensity of his gaze.

"Really," he said seriously. Then his mouth quirked into a grin. "I like a woman who can kick my ass every once in a while."

She clicked her tongue and punched him half-heartedly in the arm. "Don't tempt me, I just might."

Laughing, he slid an arm around her shoulders and she snuggled up against him. For a few minutes they just sat together in silence. Mumei pressed her ear against Ikoma's chest and listening to his heart beat. _His heart sounds so strong_, she thought. _A kabane heart with a human mind. _

When she started to tremble in his arms, Ikoma looked down, concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?" She buried her face into his chest and he could feel the warmth of her tears soaking into his haori. He ran his hands through her hair soothingly. "Please tell me," he urged.

Mumei took a shuddering breath and looked up at him, tears glittering on her eyelashes. The vulnerability in her look made Ikoma's heart ache. Subconsciously he tightened his arms around her, wanting to protect her from ever being hurt again.

"It's just," she looked away. "Ikoma you're such a good person. All I've brought into your life is death. You'd have been better off if you'd never met me."

The thought of never having met Mumei drove an icy nail of dread through his heart and Ikoma exclaimed, "That's not true! I've never felt more alive than when I'm with you Mumei." The words came rushing out in a torrent. While his mind urged him to slow down, his heart drove him forward and he knew then that he would do anything, say anything, even make a complete fool of himself to wipe away that anguished look from her eyes.

"Before I met you, I was completely alone except for Takumi. Don't you remember? The Koutetsujyo would have left me to die if you hadn't saved me. I'd be lost without you. Knowing you," he swallowed, "loving you has saved me from losing myself to the kabane virus that flows through my veins. I told you that day in the mines, I never want to be separated from you again. Whenever you're in danger, I feel this rage inside me, like a wild animal, and I know that I'm capable of terrible things." He slid his hands down her arms slowly and looked away. "You say that I'm a good person, but without you, I'd have become a monster long ago. Please don't ever leave me."

"Ikoma." She reached up and wiped a tear away that had started to trickle down his cheek. "Mhmm." She nuzzled into his neck and whispered hot words against his fluttering pulse. "I'll never leave you." Her hands cinched tightly around his waist and she breathed in the scent of him. Then, a shock rippled through her mind and she grasped his shoulders, holding him at a distance. "Wait! Did you just say love?!"

Ikoma laughed, and cupped her face in his calloused palm. "Haven't you realized it yet? I'm ridiculously in love with you."

An outrageously large grin painted itself across Mumei's face even as her complexion reddened. She twiddled her fingers self-consciously for a moment. "I love you too, Ikoma."

The words were so quiet, he could barely hear them. Still Ikoma's heart swelled with joy. He drew her into his arms with reverence. She was after all, his life line, his anchor, the light that warded off the dark madness of the kabane virus that throbbed under his skin.

She looked up at him tenderly, his ferocious lioness who could behead a man with the flick of her wrist. With all her inhuman agility and strength, she was like an angel of death, a creature of legend. And she was looking at him as if he was the only person in the universe that mattered. As if he wasn't just a lowly steam smith who managed to get himself bitten by a kabane the first time he ended up fighting one. It made his blood roar to know that of all the people in the world she could love, she chose him.

As he traced a smoldering line of kisses along her neck, he whispered into the hollow of her throat, "Cute doesn't even begin to cover it…"

-The End-

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

1.) I've tried finding the names of other stations from the Kabaneri universe, but the only ones I've discovered are Kongoukaku, Aragane, Hayatani, and Yashiro most of which have been destroyed or overrun. So, I've improvised using the names of actual train stations in Japan.

2.) The scene where Mumei dictates for Ikoma to kiss different spots was inspired by a scene from the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark with Indiana Jones and Marion. You can find it by googling "Raiders of The Lost Ark: The Kiss scene" if you're interested.

3.) I started this story with the mindset of it being a one-shot, but the more I write it, the more I think maybe it could continue a little further. I guess we'll see where it goes. I also have another idea that I think will be fun for this couple in an AU storyline, I'm still playing around with some of the details in my head, but I'm pretty sure that will end up being a multi-chapter story.


	2. Youth is Such a Wonderful Thin

**Chapter 2 Youth is Such a Wonderful Thing**

* * *

**Japanese language notes:**

Wazatori- a kabane that has lived long enough to gain proficiency in a specific art or has had enough experience from its time as a human to retain some of its muscle memory in Kabane form

Koutetsujyo- iron fortress

* * *

From a rocky outcropping in the hills surrounding Tsurugashima Station, Daito carefully studied the attack. He had deliberately sabotaged some of the track leading into the city, provoking its defenders to come out. _Know your enemy and what they are capable of_, he thought, gritting his teeth.

The other godwalkers teased him about how cautious he was. **"The humans are just sacks of meat," Ren had said while punching him painfully in the arm. "I don't know why you waste so much time studying them before you wipe them out."**

Still, such was Daito's skill as a strategist that Minokichi let him have free reign on assignments as long as he took the territory he was ordered to. And what Minokichi decreed, the others went along with. _Generally speaking, at least, _Daito thought to himself. He still got heckled from time to time, but Minokichi's unspoken favor protected him from much worse.

Tsurugashima was supposed to be an easy assignment. Overwhelm their defenses. Kill the minimum amount necessary to subdue the rest. Bring back the remaining population for integration into the herd. Make note of any special cases or skills for medical study and experimentation. Easy.

_There's nothing external to indicate this city would be any different, _Daito thought as his eyes scanned the tall station walls. A light wind ruffled his spiky raven hair. The humans followed a predictable defense pattern as they moved forward to repair the track. He had thrown a few wandering kabane at them at first and the humans had rebuffed them easily. _Nothing outside the usual. For these humans to have survived this long they would at least need some basic combat skills. _

Daito hadn't been impressed. Summoning his godwalker energy, he then drove the kabane to attack in a more coordinated effort, massing on single points of the defense until they were overwhelmed. The battle progressed as he had anticipated. The humans were falling back, unable to hold the line. And then something unexpected happened.

Two figures swirled onto the battlefield and began decimating his forces. A male and a female with the speed and strength to rival a godwalker, they worked in unison, defending and attacking in a fluid series of motions too fast for the human eye to follow.

But Daito wasn't human. His eyes tracked the pair as they destroyed one clump of kabane and moved onto the next in perfect synchrony. _That level of coordination takes years of training,_ he silently acknowledged. _And yet, they seemed to be defending the humans around them. How odd._

Determined to test their cohesion further, Daito sent in a team of five C-level wazatori. They weren't his best, but certainly passable warriors. Using them against humans was normally overkill, but for those two he wasn't sure. Within minutes, all five of his wazatori were decapitated or blown to pieces and the pair didn't even seem to be breaking a sweat.

_Interesting,_ Daito mused. The speed and skill that these unknown warriors exhibited was unlike anything he had encountered outside of the Cove. _Minokichi will be curious about them. _But just to be sure, Daito threw one more attack wave at the green-haired young man and the woman in the flowing red jacket. This time, he included a squad of fifteen of his elite wazatori strike force, normally reserved for breaching the toughest city defenses. Often times, their attacks were single-handedly responsible for the defeat of a city. Their speed and ruthlessness could even overpower some of the weaker C-class godwalkers. Daito sent all of them straight for the unknown fighters.

Again, the pair wiped them out mercilessly. Not even one wazatori was able to stagger back to his lines when Daito signaled a retreat. _Clearly, Tsurugashima needs more study before I can proceed. _

Whistling for one of the carrier pigeons, Daito pulled out a small strip of parchment. In small neat calligraphy, he wrote the following message: Enemy threat at Tsurugashima higher than anticipated. Possible godwalkers present." Blowing on the ink to dry it, Daito tested an edge with his finger. When satisfied, he rolled the parchment up and snapped it into a tiny tube that fastened around the pigeon's leg. _It should be able to reach the Cove by nightfall._

As the pigeon streaked away across the sky, Daito laid down on the hilltop, arms under his head. All he could do at the moment was wait to hear what Minokichi's response would be. The godwalker let out a sigh as he watched the clouds move lazily overhead. Having a moment of respite was a rare thing in his world, and Daito was determined to enjoy it while he could.

* * *

WUMP! Ikoma landed flat on his back, again. Mumei had been teaching him some jujitsu drills she had learned from her brother. So far, all that had really sunk in was that Mumei could toss him on his rear from a hundred and one different directions.

"Don't tell me you're getting tired already," she teased, bending down over his prone form. Her dark hair, like a silky curtain, tickled his cheek.

"Of you, never. Of jujitsu… maybe," he admitted.

She laughed and extended a hand to help him up. Ikoma took it, and hissed as the strain tugged on his sore muscles.

"What's wrong?" Her voice was laced with concern.

The green-haired kabaneri rolled his right shoulder, slowly. "It's nothing, just a little sore."

"Come here," Mumei commanded. She abruptly sat down in the grass with her legs crossed and patted the space in front of her. Her tone brooked no argument and Ikoma was wise enough to know by now not to try. Sighing, he sat down in front of her, knees touching hers lightly.

His companion frowned at him and twirled her finger. "Turn around, Ikoma."

"Where's the fun in that?" He grumbled, facing away. His complaints were quickly silenced as Mumei began roving her fingers along the planes of his back, rubbing soothing circles along his sore muscles. He couldn't contain a groan of pleasure as her hands caressed his skin, melting away stiffness as they went. "That feels so good. Thank you Mumei."

He grabbed one of her hands and began kissing her finger tips.

"Not yet." She pulled her hand away and flicked his forehead lightly. "I'm not finished." Again, her hands resumed their rhythmic work of pulling the knots from his shoulders. "Brother always demanded at least thirty minutes. He said anything less was unsatisfactory."

Ikoma's brows drew together. "Wait, you gave _Biba_ massages?" He tried to keep the edge out of his tone.

"We gave each other massages," she corrected, while rubbing at a particularly large knot. He tried to turn around to stare at her incredulously, but she clucked her tongue and shoved his shoulder to keep him facing forwards. "It wasn't a big deal. It was something we did for each other, a comrades in arms sort of thing."

Clenching his fists against his thighs, Ikoma tried hard to banish the image of Biba caressing Mumei's slim shoulders. Suddenly he wished he could kill the man all over again. _How dare he touch Mumei! Comrades in arms? What a load of-_ His eyes widened as another thought suddenly occurred to him.

He cleared his throat. "Ah, Mumei, you haven't…" he coughed once into his hand, "given anyone else on the Koutetsujyo a massage, have you?" He was impressed by how casual he was able to keep his voice while his fingernails bit into the palms of his hands.

His companion paused her ministrations to tilt her head curiously. "Of course I have. I thought it would fall within the acceptable bounds of human friendship. At least, no one ever refused when I offered it."

Ikoma wanted to drag a hand across his face, instead he settled for a long-suffering sigh. "Who?" he said softly.

"Oh let's see, Ayame-sama, Kajika, Yukina, Kurusu…" She felt his shoulders tense at the mention of that last name and she smiled deviously. "I was going to ask Sukari if he needed one later today. He looked so tired in the control room-"

She was cut off as Ikoma suddenly spun around, trapping her hands in his. "Don't," he whispered quietly. His head was looking down so that his hair hid his eyes. At his miserable expression, she took pity on him.

"Ok, ok, so maybe I was kidding about that last one," she conceded. As he peeked up hopefully at her from underneath his bangs, her heart melted. "And you can't seriously believe Kurusu would ever relax enough to let me give him a massage. I can't believe you fell for that one." She would have punched him in the arm, but he was still cradling her hands in his. But at least he was grinning now.

Ikoma leaned in closer. "Sometimes you are so…"

"Charming?" she suggested at the same time that Ikoma finished, "-irritating."

Mumei opened her mouth to give a rebuttal of how easily he was fooled and how silly he was to be jealous. But she never got the chance because at that exact moment, Ikoma tilted his head and captured her lips in a deliciously sweet kiss.

He pulled back, holding her face gently in his hands. "Promise me you won't give any of the other guys massages," he urged. Mumei reached to steal another kiss, but he shook his head. "Promise me."

"Fine, fine," she sighed dramatically. "From now on these hands are for Ikoma only."

He growled his pleasure against her throat and she ran her hands through his hair, lost in the sensations that were thrumming through her body. Later on, after ravishing her body with kisses, Ikoma stared down at her beautifully flushed face, leaning over her on his elbow. "How would you like it," he teased, "if I started giving Ayame-sama and Kajika spontaneous massages?"

Mumei's eyes flashed dangerously. "I wouldn't like it at all," she spoke softly, but her voice was threaded with iron.

She was eyeing him like a cat creeping up on an unsuspecting woodland creature. Suddenly, Ikoma regretted his attempt at leveling the playing field. "Not that I ever, even considered," he stammered. She still had that predatory look in her eyes.

"Of course not," she purred, coiling against him seductively.

_Why do I get the feeling that she's toying with me again? _He wondered briefly. _Probably because she is_, he concluded, after taking in her mischievous expression. Mumei pulled him close and nuzzled at his throat, dragging her teeth lightly over his skin to nip at his ear.

Ikoma sighed against her as blood rushed to his head and…other places. She seemed to instinctively know how to drive him wild. It was so easy to lose himself in the feeling of her soft skin, the smell of her hair, the gentle brush of her eyelashes against his cheek.

She brought his hands up to the zipper on the front of her jumpsuit and pulled it lower, exposing a tantalizing glimpse of her breasts. He looked at her through lidded eyes, burning darkly with lust and reached for her almost involuntarily, slipping his hand beneath the soft fabric of her top to caress the flesh underneath.

Normally, Ikoma was very strict about propriety. He stubbornly refused to move past kissing, citing their age differences and the fact he didn't want to steal her innocence. _Whatever that meant, _Mumei muttered to herself. She had a devil of a time trying to get him to do anything, even though she knew he wanted to. _Oh, how he wanted to,_ she smirked internally. It was clear from the way he kissed her that Ikoma wanted her in all sorts of ways. And the way that his kisses made her feel, Mumei knew that she wanted him in all sorts of ways too. _Now if he just wouldn't be so damn stubborn about it_, she thought. Hence today's shirt with a zipper streaming all the way down the front.

And now, finally, _finally_, he was touching her, thumbs rolling over her nipples till they became hard underneath his fingertips. Mumei gasped as he reached down, pushing the fabric of her shirt aside to take her left breast gently in his mouth. He sucked on her nipple, swirling around it with his tongue and she thought she might just die of pleasure. When he scraped his teeth lightly over her sensitive skin, Mumei knew she was about to lose her mind. She clutched at him desperately, hips bucking in an instinctual motion she did unconsciously. But it felt so good, she wanted to do it over and over again. He groaned against her skin and pressed into her.

And she felt, _oh God!_ She felt it. And then she was fumbling with the ties of his pants, dying to see if it really was like all the girls said it would be, dying to feel him and please him, and know that pleasure for herself.

But her scrabbling fingers on his drawstrings broke the spell Ikoma had fallen under. In an instant, he recoiled off her, hand covering his blushing face. "Mumei, gods! I'm sorry! I don't- I don't know what I was thinking." She glared at him, hair splayed in the grass, as she tried to catch her breath. Her chest heaved through her half open shirt, and he looked away, embarrassed. "I'm so sorry," he whispered miserably.

"What for?" Mumei demanded. She rose onto her elbows and deliberately left her shirt open. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye briefly, before looking away again.

"For taking advantage of you." His voice was hoarse. His hands, balled into fists, pressed into his thighs to the point that it would bruise.

"You weren't taking advantage of me," she scoffed. "I _wanted _it."

"You're too young to know what you want!" He snapped back, and instantly regretted it.

Mumei looked down at her lap. "Too young?" Her voice was quiet.

"Mumei, I didn't mean-"

"So, I'm too young for sex, and yet somehow I'm old enough to risk my life every day defending people older than me?" Her head snapped up, and Ikoma's heart clenched painfully at the tears in her eyes. "Too young to have a relationship with the man I love, but old enough to be used by a creep like Biba? Poor, stupid Mumei. You're too young to know what you want, best let the adults take it from here. Cuz you're all doing such a _great_ job of it." She stood and brushed herself off imperiously. Mumei planned to turn and storm back to the Koutetsujyo, leaving a speechless Ikoma in her wake.

But at just that moment, the alarm bells started tolling. It was a kabane attack. She looked at Ikoma and her anger melted away, only to be replaced by a deep, searing sadness. "Not too young to die, though." She zipped up her shirt and turned towards the station gates.


	3. Catalyst

**Chapter 3 Catalyst**

* * *

**Japanese Language Notes:**

Tsuranuki Zutsu- Ikoma's special pressurized steam weapon, designed specifically to pierce the iron cage around kabane hearts

* * *

The carrier pigeon returned to Daito with Minokichi's message the next day. "I trust your judgement. Bring them if they're worth my time, otherwise eliminate them." The bird eyed him with beady red stare. Daito had never been accused of wasting Minokichi's time and he certainly didn't want to start now. Cracking his neck, he stood up and stretched.

_I guess break time's over. Time to get back to work, _he mused. _Minokichi won't be interested in anything less than B level fighters and A levels are so rare, we've only ever seen one. _Thinking back to the male and female he had seen earlier defending Tsurugashima's gates, Daito steepled his fingers together. _They may well be B level but I'll have to test them against metal spinners to be sure._

Studying Tsurugashima's wall from his hilltop vantage point, Daito choose three key areas of attack. _By massing the kabane at these three points, I can exploit holes in their defense and draw those two out. That's where I'll conceal the metal spinners and the real test will begin._

Metal spinners were one of the hybrids Dr. Ito had cooked up in his lab. They were larger and much stronger than the average kabane, fast-moving and ruthless. But the real threat was the iron metal that flowed through their veins with every beat of their heart. On command, they could pour it out through their fingers and toes with deadly accuracy. Kabane iron was one of the few things that could permanently harm or terminate another kabane and the metal spinners churned it out as easy as breathing._ They also seem to derive a sadistic joy from killing their weaker brethren,_ Daito had thought more than once.

The distinguishing mark between a C and B level warrior was the ability to survive a metal spinner's ambush and eliminate the opponent. Many C level fighters had died trying to prove their strength, but that didn't stop others from attempting the same trial. _In order to be worth Minokichi's time, both fighters will need to take down a metal spinner, _Daito determined.

He sent two down to conceal themselves in shallow burrows about a hundred feet from the wall. Then Daito mustered his forces for battle. The godwalker energy thrummed beneath his skin, tracing the pathways along his veins a brilliant glowing orange. Eyes shut in concentration, Daito nudged his army of kabane forward in three sections. The creatures screamed and began hurling themselves at the wall, each section attacking one of the weak points the godwalker had noticed earlier.

While Tsurugashima's defenders noticed the attack right away, Daito's avenue of attack included clever angles that blocked most of their outgoing firepower. They were only able to pick off a minimal number of his horde at a time. Daito smiled grimly. War was a game he played to win.

Gritting his teeth, he forced more energy into the kabane, causing them to thrash and scream. The horde began crawling over itself in a frenzy. More and more kabane piled on top of each other, in such numbers that they actually began to scale the station walls. Swarming like rabid ants, the pile of kabane grew larger and larger.

Tsurugashima's alarm bells clanged desperately and Daito could smell the stench of fear in the air. The humans were rank with it as they stared uncomprehending at the power of his army below. He watched as they ran frantically back and forth along the wall taking potshots at his army. For every one that fell, three more crawled up to take its place. _The poor fools still don't realize they never had a chance,_ he thought with pity.

Daito was still shaking his head with sympathy when an explosion rocked segment three of his forces. It was the female fighter in red! She had leapt from the top of the station's battlements directly into his pile of kabane, the force of her blow crumbling his living pillar. A cloud of dust was kicked up by her attack and for a moment, Daito's vision was blocked.

He scanned the area carefully, a flicker of red here, a blast from a high powered rifle there. She wove through his forces as if she were made of smoke, and Daito watched entranced. _She's definitely a B-level. Passionate, bordering on sheer recklessness. _It was funny, Daito didn't remember such an emotional response from her before. Today she hacked apart his army with a vengeance, as if she had a personal vendetta against someone. _Ren's going to love her_.

Her speed, strength, and lethality all clearly pointed to a high B class fighter. _Which just leaves the male. Where is he today? _Daito scanned the battlefield.

After making quick work of his first section, the female was striding towards his second pillar, radiating a brutal determination. _Aha! There he is!_ The green-haired young man appeared through a small opening in the station wall. He ran up to his companion, grabbing her arm and shouting something at her, but she shook him off and sped toward the second column of kabane scaling the wall.

_A quarrel of some kind?_ Daito raised a brow in surprise. It seemed a strange thing to do in the midst of battle. _No matter, I already know the female's ability. That just leaves the male…_

* * *

Ikoma stared miserably after Mumei. She wouldn't even listen to him! Yes, he had been an ass and he was fully ready to admit that right before she took a swan dive off a fifty plus foot station wall into a swarm of ravenous kabane.

His heart stopped beating as he watched her free fall into the teaming mass of bloodthirsty zombies and strike with enough force to topple down their creepy living ladder. He had screamed her name over the station wall, _which she completely ignored_, and watched as she eviscerated kabane after kabane, her face fluctuating between anger and pain. _It's all my fault! _

Ikoma tore down the stairs of the station tower, tormented by his thoughts. _She's a young woman now, you fool! _But he could still picture her twelve-year-old face, staring up at him with adoration as he promised her things that should have waited until they were a man and woman. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, _he berated himself with every step on the dusty stone staircase.

_Mumei, I've wanted you from the first moment I saw you. But you were so young! I felt like a perverted old lecher for harboring those thoughts._ He remembered the feeling of her warm breast beneath his hand and he missed a step.

Cursing, he caught himself against the wall with one hand and took a deep breath. _She's not twelve any more, that's for sure. _At sixteen, Mumei was a beautiful young woman and Ikoma bordered on excessive in his protection of her from male overtures, with himself being number one on his own list. It was hard to protect someone from yourself, especially when you live in close proximity on a train, work together almost constantly, and be the only two of your…_species? _Not to mention the face that his love for said person seemed to grow exponentially every day, but Ikoma was nothing if not ambitious.

He had burst through the station door and caught her just as she was heading towards the next column. Grabbing her arm, he wanted to shake some sense into her. "Slow down!" he had shouted. "The kabane aren't acting right. Something's wrong."

She looked at him incredulously for a moment before her cheeks darkened with rage and she shook him off. _Oh, she was pissed, _Ikoma knew. But her anger made her reckless and recklessness made his lioness vulnerable. _I should have learned my lesson at Unato_, he berated himself, _whenever we have a fight like this, Mumei inevitably puts herself in danger. _

Priming his tsuranuki zutsu in order to watch her back, Ikoma was just about to leap after her when the ground beneath his feet rumbled. _That's not good_ was his belated thought as the pebbles by his feet began jiggling. The ground beneath him started to crack open and clawing its way up out of it was a creature Ikoma had hoped never to see again.


	4. What Doesn't Kill You

**Chapter 4 What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger**

* * *

**Japanese language notes:**

Kunai- a Japanese tool, possibly used as a trowel, but frequently appears in ninja stories as a multipurpose weapon. I saw Mumei use one in her encounter with Enoku so they're part of the kabaneri universe as well

-Sama- an honorific attached the name of high-ranking people, a term of respect

-Chan- a form of "san" attached to the end of a child or female family member's name, denoting a close and affectionate relationship. Can be used platonically or amorously.

* * *

The snarling creature that tore its way up from the ground caused Ikoma to stumble backwards in shock. It was at least twice the size of a normal human, bulging with superhuman muscles and canine teeth so large that they protruded visibly from its lips. Even more alarming were the veins of metallic substance that spread from wherever it placed its hands or feet.

_Another one! Just like at Unato!_ Ikoma's thoughts flashed in warning but he had no time to pause and consider the similarities any further. The creature was charging at him, tearing up the ground as it surged forward.

Ikoma flipped backward, out of reach and the creature snapped its jaws in irritation. Thrusting its hands into the ground, the beast poured its rage out through its limbs and liquid kabane metal threaded from its fingertips. Forcing the metal into spear-like projectiles, the kabane hurled a vicious assault at the green-haired young man.

One spear grazed his arm, causing blood to drip down his sleeve. Ikoma eyed the tear in his suit, surprised. Normal metal couldn't cut through the armor he had developed and this metal spear had barely touched him. _Those metal projections are razor sharp,_ he realized_, sharp enough to make quick work of a kabaneri. _

_Mumei! _he thought desperately, remembering her reckless anger moments before. _Please gods, don't let her do anything stupid. _

His thoughts were scattered as the creature hurled itself forward in another attack. It crawled along on all fours, like a malevolent spider and moved with uncanny speed. Ikoma was having trouble dodging its attacks, his thoughts torn between evading and searching for Mumei to make sure she was safe.

He stumbled, at the worst possible time. The creature leered over him, drawing back its arm to deliver a death blow straight through his heart. Ikoma sucked in a desperate breath.

There was a flash of red and a rustle of leather. Ikoma blinked. A stream of blood curled through the air and puff of dust rose a short distance away as a large meaty arm hit the ground with a thump. Mumei stood in front of him. Somehow, she had torn one of the metal projections from the ground and used it to sever the beast's arm.

Her own fingers, clutching the jagged metal were bleeding through her gloves but it seemed beyond her notice. She was glaring at the creature with a menace Ikoma had never seen before. She practically glowed with rage.

* * *

From his vantage point on the hill, Daito watched the battle unfold, fingers drumming along his arm. _The female was definitely a B-class fighter, but the male…Perhaps I overestimated his abilities yesterday._

Tapping out more of the rhythm of Mozart's Symphony Number Forty, Daito tried to analyze his opponent. Mozart always helped him to focus. He missed being able to listen to the classical composers his mother had loved so much when he was a child. After the outbreak of the virus, civilization crumbled, leaving few relics behind. Still, Daito was determined not to forget these songs. Hence his frequent tapping. Another quirk that set him at odds with the other godwalkers at the Cove.

The green haired man dodged effectively, but then wasted precious seconds looking around rather than striking back. _He's so distracted, _Daito murmured, _if he could just focus, he'd probably be able to take it out._

When the young man stumbled, Daito sighed. He didn't like seeing any life go to waste, and this man had potential. Still, Minokichi's rule was absolute, and it wouldn't do to cross him._ An average C level after all. _

The metal spinner was just about to deliver the killing blow when the young woman stepped in. Even from a distance, her fury was palpable.

Daito stopped his drumming. _So, he means that much to you? _He asked her silently. Then looking more closely at the male, he amended, _you mean that much to each other. _

_But killing one metal spinner isn't enough to buy you both a ticket into the Cove. _He eyed the pair thoughtfully.

* * *

"M-Mumei", Ikoma stammered. Relief flooded through him to see her standing, unharmed, before him.

The beast in front of her bellowed, clutching its bloody stump of an arm in disbelief.

"Tch" Mumei looked at it with disdain. Hopping into the air, she planted both feet on its chest, forcing it backwards. Using the momentum from her kick, she flipped around, landing gracefully beside her friend. Holding out her hand, her gaze met his. "Are you-" Eyes widening in horror, she suddenly screamed, "LOOK OUT!" and shoved Ikoma away from her as hard as she could.

A metal spear snaked up from the ground, just where he had been moments before. Where Mumei was now after pushing him out of the way.

Time seemed to slow for Ikoma. He was still being thrown backwards but his eyes were fixed on Mumei, on the expression of alarm fading from her face as he sailed away from her. Ikoma reached for her and she smiled just before a jagged metal shard impaled her through the stomach.

Coughing up blood, Mumei's fingers scrabbled weakly at blade skewering her body. The sand around her rippled and churned as a second creature pulled itself up out of its hiding place. It held her up, laughing in a deep voice as she struggled to break free.

Its tongue snaked out to lick the side of her face, and Mumei suppressed a shudder. With nimble fingers, she grabbed one of the kunai belted at her waist and severed the tongue from the beast's smirking face.

It screamed in pain, blood dripping from its mouth to stain the sand below. It looked at her, malice brightening its eyes. Veins bulged from its arms as it channeled all its rage into forcing liquid metal through the spear into her torso.

Mumei let out a bloodcurdling scream, her body contorting in pain. Frantically she clawed at her stomach until the beast send another wave of razor metal searing through her veins and everything stopped.

It shook her lifeless body like a ragdoll for a moment. Upon getting no reaction, it chuckled and tossed her to the ground, wiping its still bleeding mouth with the back of its hand.

"**_MUMEI!"_**

Ikoma's world went black. His raspy screams howled through the air, but he wasn't even aware of them. All he could feel was the kabane virus crawling under his skin, all rage and fury and darkness. His mind replayed the image of Mumei's body crumpling to the ground. She wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing.

The virus whispered to him, and he pulled it closer, like a serpent coiling around his heart. Darkness filled him, turning his eyes black, obscuring him within a tangled mass of slithering tentacles.

* * *

"An A-class? Impossible!" Daito griped the rock ledge in shock. But there was no denying the green-haired man's transformation. Tendrils of darkness swarmed over his body, forming a protective shell that Daito knew could lash out with deadly accuracy.

He had only seen Minokichi's transformation once, appearing as that of a giant black serpent. But this young man's was different.

_Does each A-class fighter take on a different form? _he wondered. The godwalker before him was rapidly taking shape, molding the darkness surrounding him into long razor-sharp limbs. _Almost like a praying mantis._

Bellowing furiously, the A-class godwalker arched his back. His limbs shot out and impaled the metal spinner before him. The two-ton creature was raised effortlessly into the air and eviscerated into pulpy wet chunks of flesh.

Daito swallowed. _He's not happy._

The other metal spinner screamed in rage and charged at the godwalker. Daito watched as a giant gaping mouth formed, filled with layers of glittering black teeth. It met the metal spinner's rush head on, chomping down to the creature's waist. Rearing back, the godwalker bellowed again and all that was left of Daito's metal spinner was a pair legs, still twitching in the sand.

The godwalker tore through the remainder of his kabane troops as if they were made of paper. Some he ran through with his murderous limbs and others he swallowed whole.

_Even my entire army won't be enough to satisfy him at this rate. _Daito's brow creased. _Once he's finished with my kabane…_ He looked towards the walls of Tsurugashima Station.

* * *

"Ayame-sama, what's happening down there?" Kajika asked desperately.

Ayame lowered her binoculars, face filled with terror. "It's Ikoma. He's become some kind of-" She covered her mouth with a trembling hand. "Some kind of monster. And Mumei-chan is…. Mumei-chan is…" She couldn't get the words to leave her throat. The way Ikoma had killed those kabane, it made her blood run cold.

"Ikoma is out of control." It was Kurusu, beside her who finally spoke. "I've got to go down there."

"No!" Ayame grabbed his arm reflexively. A blush stained her cheeks as she spoke. "It's too dangerous. I've never seen Ikoma like this before." As the bushi met her eyes, she looked away and said in a small voice, "I'm frightened."

Kurusu placed a warm hand over her own and she looked up at him in surprise. "It's alright, Ayame-sama. It's my duty to protect you and the passengers of the Koutetsujyo. I will return to you, I promise." He squeezed her fingers gently and she let go, biting her lip.

"May the gods protect you," she whispered. Kurusu bowed and backed away a few steps before turning to hurry away, hand on his sword hilt.

He made his way down the stone steps to the pedestrian gate of the outer wall. Once outside, he fought to contain a sudden burst of nausea, something he hadn't struggled with since he was a young boy. The world outside looked like a warzone. Mutilated corpses were strewn about, bodies stiffening in their final poses of agony._ Ikoma did all this? _Kurusu clenched his sword like a lifeline and continued to move forward.

The monster-_Ikoma_ \- Kurusu corrected himself, stood before him, wreathed in noxious black smoke, limbs dripping in blood. It cocked its head at the bushi's approach, almost as if surprised anything would dare approach it.

"Ikoma!" Kurusu shouted, hand on his sword, "what are you?"

Somewhere within his subconscious, Ikoma knew the sounds of the words, knew they had meaning. But he didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore. All he knew was anger. All he wanted was to kill. He snarled at the human before him that dared to get in his way.

Kurusu unsheathed his sword and held it before him. "So be it."

Ikoma crouched, legs bent up under himself at an impossible angle, ready to spring.

"-koma," a dry voice whispered. And with that voice, Ikoma's heart that had shriveled up into a black, lifeless thing, started to beat again.

"Mumei!" He turned desperately toward the sound.

"Ikoma, are you there?" Her words were broken by a ragged cough.

His rage broke and the darkness sloughed off of him like a snake sheds its skin. "Mumei!" He raced towards her, sending up a shower of pebbles as his skidded to a stop before her prone form. Cradling her in his arms, he whispered into her hair, "I thought I lost you."

"Not- yet" she breathed out slowly. "You- ok?"

"Yes, yes. I'm good." He held her hand up to his face. "Mumei, gods Mumei, I'm so sorry."

"S'alright," she muttered weakly before fading out of consciousness.

Tears blurred his vision and Ikoma swiped at them with the back of his hand. He steeled himself to check her wound, knowing it was going to be bad.

A chunk of the metal spear was still wedged through her stomach. _Probably the reason she's still alive,_ he realized grimly. _It stopped her from bleeding out_. But his greater concern was the metal that had been poured into her. There were raised ridges extending out from her stomach up her chest and arms and down her legs where liquid metal had been forced through her veins and then hardened.

He heard Kurusu approaching cautiously from behind and knew his friend still had his sword out. "It's alright Kurusu," Ikoma called out. "I'm kabaneri."

"Thank God!" Ikoma heard Kurusu mumble.

The kabaneri turned towards his ally, Mumei clasped gently in his arms. "She's hurt. Bad."

Kurusu inhaled hard at the look of gravity in his friend's eyes. "Let's get her inside and have the doctors take a look."

* * *

Mumei's cries tore through the hospital ward and Ikoma wanted to rip out his hair in grief. When she was awake, the agony of her condition was nearly unbearable, for her and for him to watch.

The doctors, already skittish at having a kabaneri in their hospital, didn't know how to treat her. None of their surgical instruments would work, any tool they tried to use broke when it came in contact with the kabane metal from the creature.

All they could ascertain was that the substance seemed to be poisoning her and preventing her body from healing simultaneously. There was nothing they could do.

Given more time, Ikoma knew he could come up with something, anything to save her. But time was something they didn't have. At this point, every breath Mumei took could be her last. He couldn't leave her to go research a cure or coat the doctor's surgical instruments in the molten remains of a kabane heart cage.

When she was awake, she cried out for him in between screams and when she lost consciousness, she still gripped his hand tightly.

"Mumei, please don't leave me," Ikoma whispered, brushing her bangs back from her feverish forehead. "You promised we'd never be separated."

His mind flashed back to that day at Unato.

**A battle was fiercely raging between the humans and invading kabane. The humans didn't trust the kabaneri and had locked Ikoma up. ****_Not that I didn't deserve it,_**** he knew. ****_I attacked Mumei. _**

**She had left him to search out the tunnels alone and had inadvertently found a strange beastly kabane that could weave metallic strands from its hands and feet. **

**It nearly killed her before Ikoma arrived. **

**Afterwards, exhausted and staggering from blood loss, he let himself fall into her embrace. It was the first time he had actually allowed himself to express his feelings for her out loud. **

**"Stay by my side forever, don't leave me," he said softly into her ear. Ikoma breathed in her scent, a little spicy like cinnamon, and felt his body relax. **

**"Say it again," she whispered, and he could hear the tears in her voice.**

**"Don't leave," he tugged her closer, "don't leave me ever." **

**Her quiet affirmation burned like a fire in his veins and for a moment, Ikoma lost control. Pressing his body snugly against hers, he moved his mouth closer. **

**Mumei, innocent Mumei, thought he was reaching for her out of hunger. In a way he was, but not the kind of hunger she imagined. She offered her arm to him, dripping blood and somehow, he managed to pull himself together enough to divert his mouth away from her lips. Just barely.**

**The smell of her blood made him realize just how thirsty he was and he couldn't stop himself from having a taste of what she freely offered. ****_Gods, she was delicious. So bright and pure, like nothing he had ever experienced before._**

**Ikoma knew that he loved Mumei, unequivocally. There would never be anyone else who could steal his heart so completely. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. No place he wouldn't go. And in that moment, he resolved to wait, as long as it took, to be worthy of her. ****_I won't take advantage of her like Biba did,_**** he vowed to himself.**

**"Then you'll need to wait until she's old enough. At least 18, if not 21," his conscience suggested helpfully, just before they were both bathed in a healing green light.**

_Easier said than done, _Ikoma thought, remembering his rash promises to himself. _Still, I tried. God knows I tried to keep my hands off her, to protect her and keep her safe._

"16 rounds up to 20," a mischievous little voice frequently resounded in his head. He studiously ignored it.

Mumei flinched in the hospital bed, still unconscious but breathing heavily. Ikoma leaned over her, searching her face. Her eyes were partially open but they didn't appear to be able to see him.

"Mumei, I'm here." He squeezed her hand. "Can you hear me? I'm right here." Her fingers twitched, slightly in his grip, but otherwise she gave no sign of hearing him.

Lowering his head, Ikoma fought back the urge to break down completely. _She might still be able to hear me; I can't risk her thinking I've given up._

Frantically, he searched his mind for anything he could say or do to prevent himself from giving into the fear gnawing away at his gut. Then it came to him.

"Deigo flowers blossom, calling to the wind and the storm," he sang softly, voice breaking. "Deigo flowers in full bloom, call to the wind and bring the storm. Sadness comes and goes like the waves upon the sea."

Mumei sighed, and her breathing seemed to relax somewhat.

**Ikoma used to have nightmares. He would dream of his sister being eaten alive before his eyes over and over again. Even on the Koutetsujyo, sometimes he would be jarred awake, screaming her name.**

**One particular night, he woke up in a cold sweat, shivering.**

**"Ikoma," Mumei mumbled, rubbing her eyes with sleep, "you, o-kay?" Her question was split in half by a yawn.**

**Running his fingers through his hair, he tried to paste on a smile. "Sure, Mumei. I'm fine. Just a bad dream." **

**She crawled closer to him on the folding metal bunk bed they shared with the other Hayajiro residents. "You sure?" Mumei poked at his face sleepily.**

**"Yes, yes." Ikoma waved her hand away. He was exhausted but it didn't seem like his mind was going to let him rest tonight.**

**A bright grin split his companion's face in the moonlight. "W-what?" he asked her warily.**

**"Hehe, I know just what to do!" She grabbed his shoulders and threw him down onto her lap.**

**"What are you-" he whispered fiercely, trying to rise.**

**"Shhh!" She interrupted imperiously and pushed him back down with an iron grip. "I know what to do. My mother taught me."**

**At her words, Ikoma stilled. Mumei hardly ever talked about her mother. Then he sucked in a breath as she began lightly running her fingers through his hair. Heart thumping, Ikoma closed his eyes and tried to mold his face into an expressionless mask. But he couldn't quite keep a rumble of pleasure from sneaking out.**

**At her giggle, he cleared his throat. "It feels nice," he murmured.**

**"Deigo flowers blossom, calling to the wind and the storm," she sang in a quiet voice. "Deigo flowers in full bloom, call to the wind and bring the storm. Sadness comes and goes like the waves upon the sea." Stroking his hair, Mumei continued her lullaby, and Ikoma found himself unconsciously relaxing. The tension faded from his muscles and he drifted into a deep sleep.**

**Waking up the next morning, he felt so comfortable he didn't want to open his eyes. Instead, he chose to snuggle deeper into the bed, burrowing in to that intoxicating cinnamon scent. **

**_Reminds me of something… _****His thoughts were fuzzy, but he knew that he wanted to get closer to whatever it was that smelled so good. Ikoma nuzzled it with his nose, eyes still closed, and was rewarded with a soft sigh. Intrigued, he opened his mouth and gave it a lick. ****_I want to see if it tastes as good as it smells. _****It did.**

**The giggle that answered him caused his eyes to snap open in surprise. He was met by a warm reddish-brown gaze.**

**"Good morning sleepy head," Mumei grinned down at him. "You're a pretty heavy sleeper, you know that?"**

**"Mumei?" Ikoma suddenly became acutely aware how snugly their bodies were fitted together, limbs tangled. His head had been resting on her collar bone, nose nuzzling her neck.**

**"I'm sorr- Owww" he sat up so quickly he banged his head on the bunk bed above him. **

**Mumei blinked at him as he rubbed the bump. "Are you alright?" she asked curiously.**

**Ikoma groaned. "I'm fine."**

**"It's the song. My mother used to sing it to me when I was afraid. It always helped me sleep."**

**"Come to think of it, I do feel pretty well rested," Ikoma agreed. **

**Mumei's answering smile could have outshone the sun. "Good."**

**Since then, snuggling with Mumei at night was one of the few indulgences he continually allowed himself, under the guise of getting a good night's sleep of course. Although he made an effort to sleep stoically sitting up with just his arm draped over her, more often than not he woke up molded against Mumei's side, with her head tucked neatly under his chin. **

**None of the other Koutetsujyo residents ever made a comment, not even Sukari, whose candidness was legendary. Ikoma strongly suspected that Mumei had somehow squelched any and all rumors, not an easy feat on such a gossipy train. Some things were better left unknown.**

**He hasn't had a nightmare since.**

Ikoma was broken from his reverie by a soft knock on the door. It was Ayame.

"Ikoma, there's a strange man at the gate. He told the guard that this city has two 'godwalkers', one of them seriously injured, and he's offered to help. Do you think he could be referring to you and Mumei-chan?"

"What?" Ikoma sprang from his chair.

Ayame twined her fingers together. "He said, 'She'll die if I don't treat her.' Something about metal poisoning."

Ikoma raced to her side and clutched her hands desperately. "Take me to him. I need to speak with him right away!" At her nod, he rushed back over to Mumei's bed. Leaning over, he whispered into her ear. "Hold on Mumei! I'm going to get help!"

He turned and sprinted out of the room, practically dancing with impatience. At his nervous expression, Ayame touched his arm. "Why don't you go on ahead, Ikoma? You'll be much faster than me and you know where the gate is. Kurusu and the other bushi are waiting there. I'll stay here and keep Mumei-chan company for you."

"Thank you Ayame-sama!" Tears shone in his eyes as he squeezed her hands gratefully and dashed down the hall.

Ikoma had never run so fast in his life. To the pedestrians walking along Tsurugashima's streets, he was just a blur of motion, trailing a stream of wind behind him. When a cluster of wagons threatened to slow his progress, Ikoma leaped effortlessly onto a roof and continued onward, running lightly over the tiles.

As he approached the gate, Ikoma jumped down effortlessly, startling a group of bushi standing guard. They started to mutter indignantly, but fell silent as Kurusu strode forward and beckoned the Kabaneri closer.

"Kurusu, is it true?"

"Yes," Kurusu nodded, "he's out there and he claims he can help." As Ikoma strove to move forward, Kurusu's arm shot out and grabbed him. "There's more. I think this man is also Kabaneri." At Ikoma's startled expression, the bushi relaxed his grip slightly. "We must be cautious."

"I'll go alone," Ikoma put his hand on Kurusu's shoulder. "Shut the gate behind me. If he's hostile like Kageyuki, I'll take him out." The look in his eyes, made Kurusu drop his arm with a nod.

"Open the gate," the bushi ordered.

Ikoma stepped through into the darkness outside the city. His Kabaneri sight adjusted nearly instantaneously to the change in lighting. He had near perfect night vision.

Standing a few feet to his left and leaning against the city wall was a young man, roughly his own age. The stranger was dressed in dark, loose fitting clothes, with a tasseled scarf wrapped around his head. The garment obscured his face so that all Ikoma could see were a pair of eerie orange-yellow eyes.

Upon Ikoma's entrance, the young man pushed himself off the wall to face him. "Your companion is gravely injured," he stated in a calm voice.

"Who are you?" Ikoma demanded, "And how do you know about Mumei?"

The young man met his gaze, coolly. "I am Daito and I will happily answer your questions but time is of the essence. You must inject this near the site of the contamination to save her life." Daito held up a syringe filled with a dark red liquid. "It will help her body begin to break down the threads, to begin to heal."

At Ikoma's hesitation, Daito lifted his other hand in a placating gesture. "What reason would I have to lie to you? If I wanted her dead, all I would have to do is wait a little longer." He held out the syringe.

The green-haired Kabaneri took it, and held it up close to examine it. "What is this exactly? It won't hurt her?"

"A dilute nonoxidizing acidic compound. And yes, it is safe. Though owning to the extent of her injuries, her body will probably maintain a comatose healing state for the next few days or weeks before she recovers."

"Weeks," Ikoma whispered, stunned.

Daito looked at him blandly. "Surely, you must have realized that even as godwalkers we can be killed?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Godwalkers?" Ikoma was having trouble suppressing his tenacious curiosity. _But if there's even a chance this could help, I've got to get it back to Mumei, now._ "How do I know I can trust you?" he asked.

Now Daito's look became amused. "You don't. However, your mate's life will be determined by whether you choose to do so." As Ikoma spluttered, the godwalker continued, "I will remain here. We can resume this conversation after you have administered the medication to your satisfaction." With that, he leaned back against the wall, orange eyes pinned on Ikoma.

"If this is a trap, I will hunt you down and kill you."

Daito nodded, "Understood."

Ikoma kept his eyes on the stranger as he rapped on the door with his knuckles. "Kurusu, it's me. Open up." He slipped inside and nodded to the bushi. "You're right, he's definitely Kabaneri. I don't know if we can trust him, but this may be Mumei's only chance. He said he'll remain outside."

"We'll watch him," Kurusu conceded.

With a word of thanks, Ikoma ran once more back towards the hospital. Moving so fast, his leaps and bounds almost made him feel like he was flying. Any other day, he would revel in his growing strength, but today nothing could distract him from one thought. _Mumei…_

She had grown paler in the time he had been gone, and a sheen of sweat shone on her face. Ikoma sniffed at the syringe, and inspected it closely. He even went as far as injecting a miniscule amount under his own skin to check if it was safe. Normally he would have run extensive tests on the substance but there was no time.

Mumei's normal spicy scent of cinnamon was getting swallowed up in a more sickly-sweet stench, like rotting vegetation. She was dying.

With a silent prayer, Ikoma thrust the needle into the skin above her abdomen. It pierced straight through the kabane metal. He breathed a sigh of relief. _I didn't even think about the needle breaking. Thank God it didn't. I don't know what I would have done. _An image of darkness and rage flashed through his mind and he suppressed a shudder.

_Daito, from what I could sense seemed genuine. Please let Mumei be ok,_ he sent out a silent plea and injected the contents of the syringe into her stomach.

Ayame and Ikoma watched with baited breath. One minute. Two.

Mumei let out a sigh and the tightness of pain seemed to lessen on her face.

"Ikoma, look!" The Yomogaza heir shook his arm. "Her temperature is going down! Look!" She tugged him toward the monitor.

"You're right!" He breathed a sigh of relief. "She looks and smells much better." That met with a puzzled look but Ikoma just shrugged, nearly giddy with relief. That cloying stench of death was fading. Mumei was going to be ok.

* * *

Author's Notes:

1\. I read an article a little while back that said the Japanese voice actors who play Ikoma and Mumei (Tasuku Hatanaka and Sayaka Senbongi, respectively) recently got married! Yay! Congratulations Tasuku and Sayaka! Just further proof that Ikoma and Mumei are meant to be. ^_^

2\. I forgot to mention the song inspiration behind the very first chapter when it was originally a one shot. It was inspired by "Dirty Pretty" by In This Moment.

3\. Ikoma and Mumei's lullaby is a loose translation of "Shima Uta". It was originally performed by the BOOM, although I like the Rimi Natsukawa version better myself.


End file.
